Ann Eliza Longden (1869 – 12 August 1952) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

politician, the first woman to serve as

Lord Mayor of Sheffield The Lord Mayor of Sheffield is a ceremonial post held by a member of Sheffield City Council. They are elected annually by the council. The post originated in 1843, with the appointment of William Jeffcock as the first Mayor of Sheffield. ...

. Living at

Wadsley Wadsley is a suburb of the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It stands north-west of the city centre at an approximate grid reference of . At the 2011 Census the suburb fell within the Hillsborough ward of the City. Wadsley was f ...

Grove, Longden joined the Conservative Party, and in 1904 she stood unsuccessfully to become a

Poor Law Guardian Boards of guardians were ''ad hoc'' authorities that administered Poor Law in the United Kingdom from 1835 to 1930. England and Wales Boards of guardians were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish overseers of the poor ...

in Hillsborough. Her husband died in 1922, after which she took over as managing director of his business, the Longden Timber Company. Later in the year she finally won election to

Sheffield City Council Sheffield City Council is the local authority for the City of Sheffield, a metropolitan borough with city status in South Yorkshire, England. The council consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors. ...

. In 1936/37, Longden served as Lord Mayor of Sheffield, the first woman to hold the position. Her daughter Mary served as her Lady Mayoress. Her son John also became a councillor, and served as Lord Mayor in his own right at the end of the decade. Longden was elected as an

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in 1938. She served as president of the women's section of the Sheffield Citizen's Association, and its successor, the women's council of the Municipal Progressive Party, and also president of the women's section of the Hillsborough Conservative Association. In 1949, Longden was granted the Freedom of the City of Sheffield, the first woman to be given this award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Longden, Ann Eliza 1869 births 1952 deaths Conservative Party (UK) councillors Lord mayors of Sheffield Women mayors of places in England Women councillors in England